Ichigenkin

An is a Japanese single-stringed zither. Its silk string is plucked with a pointed tubular plectrum placed on the index finger of the right hand while the "rokan" (a tubular ivory device similar to a guitar slide placed over the middle finger of the left hand) slightly depresses the string—though not so hard that it presses against the hardwood soundboard—to vary the pitch. As with the Chinese guqin, from which it was likely originally adapted, the "ichigenkin" has no frets, so sliding tones are an important part of the technique of the instrument. Although the "ichigenkin" has its own solo repertoire, it is also used to accompany traditional singing. The instrument was once popular among samurai, literati, and priests, but today players of the instrument are very rare. The Canadian multi-instrumentalist Randy Raine-Reusch, perhaps the only non-Japanese "ichigenkin" performer, has composed and recorded new works for the instrument.

ee also

*Music of Japan

External links

* [http://www.asza.com/iichi.shtml Ichigenkin page on ASZA website]
* [http://home7.highway.ne.jp/kaneko/index/ichigenkin.html Ichigenkin Japanese Maker Page] Has some MP3s of several pieces